Breastfeeding and human milk bank in a neonatal intensive care unit: impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in an Italian cohort of very low birth weight infants.
Int Breastfeed J
; 17(1): 94, 2022 12 29.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36581945
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Parental stress in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) is well known, as is the stress induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This combination might increase stress to the extent of affecting the availability of maternal expressed milk and the success of establishing breastfeeding. This is particularly relevant in very preterm infants.METHODS:
We conducted a single-centre retrospective analysis in two cohorts of very low birth weight infants born in a hospital in Italy. Babies born before the pandemic (September 2017 - December 2019) (n = 101) and during the pandemic (March 2020 - December 2021) (n = 67) were included in the analysis. We compared the rate of babies fed with maternal milk (both expressed and / or donated) at the achievement of full enteral feeding and the rate of those exclusively breastfed at discharge in the two groups. Then, we analysed the impact of donated human milk availability on infant formula use. We also compared mother's need for psychological support during NICU stay and the duration of psychological follow-up after discharge.RESULTS:
In our NICU the availability of expressed maternal milk significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic (86.1% before the pandemic vs 44.8% during the pandemic, p < 0.001) at the time of full enteral feeding achievement. Thanks to the availability of donated human milk, the rate of formula-fed babies remained almost unchanged (13.9% vs 14.9%). At discharge, the rate of breastfeeding was similar (73.3% vs 72.7%). The maternal need for psychological support was significantly higher during the pandemic (33% vs 64%, p < 0.001), as well as the duration of follow-up > 6 months (1% vs 15%, p < 0.001). No differences in the main clinical outcomes were found.CONCLUSION:
Pandemic-induced stress had a significant impact on the availability of expressed maternal milk in NICU. However, the presence of human donated milk was fundamental in preventing increased use of infant formula during NICU stays. This underlines how strategies to implement the widespread establishment of donor milk banks on a national level are warranted. Further research is desirable to optimise the use of donated human milk banks during emergency situations.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Contexto en salud:
5_ODS3_mortalidade_materna
Problema de salud:
5_maternal_care
Asunto principal:
Bancos de Leche Humana
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Newborn
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int Breastfeed J
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia